My Demonic Angel
by YouMeAndEternity
Summary: Discover how different Gaara's life would be with a childhood friend to help him through his hardships. (Gaara x OC)
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO OR ANY CHARACTERS OF THE MANGA OR ANIME. Isn't that kinda obvious?

-o-

"Hikaru, go to the market and get these," my dad handed me a list of groceries. "Be careful, bad things happen at night. Especially to five year olds."

My name is Kojima Hikaru. My father and I just moved here, to Suna. He is a messenger, so we always have to move around a lot for convenience of his work.

Though it's not too convenient for me.

I never have time to make any good friends whenever we go somewhere. I've practically given up trying. I always felt alone. Especially with my dad being so distant.

I grabbed the list and walked out of the house towards the market. At least, it was our house for six weeks. After that, we were gone to the Kirigakure.

I hated it here. It was hot and sandy. I hated sand. It got all over your clothes and in your hair and socks. I couldn't wait to move to the Land of Water.

I bought my things and began my trek back home. I heard some kids yelling and looked up hopefully. Maybe I could meet some friends. Temporary friends.

There were four kids who were probably my age. One was on a swing and the rest were gathered around. They were the ones yelling. They were all throwing eggs at the boy on the swing. I started walking over there to defend him, but then something strange happened.

A wall of sand rose up between the boy and the other kids. Pieces of sand were shooting out towards the bullies, making them run away screaming. The wall of sand then fell to the ground.

I looked around for a ninja who had maybe performed a jutsu, but there was none. "This village is just too weird," I said under my breath.

Walking over to the boy, I saw him wipe egg yolk off his face with his hand. He didn't look up when I kneeled next to him. Reaching in my pocket, I pulled out a cloth and held it out to him. He just stared at me, a look of confusion on his face.

"Well, are you gonna take it or not?" I urged.

He still sat there with the same dumb expression. _What is wrong with the people here? I hope they're not all this crazy._

Sighing, I wiped the egg off his face with my cloth. He flinched away from me, but I didn't pull my hand away.

"What happened over there, with the sand?" I asked.

"What are you doing?" he asked, his big green eyes searching mine.

_Way to not answer my question_, I thought. "I'm helping you. There, I think I got the last of it," I almost put the cloth back in my pocket, but then thought better of it. "My name's Hikaru, I just moved here," I said with a smile.

"Oh." He wasn't looking at me. I got the feeling he wanted me gone.

I grinded my teeth and pushed away my annoyance. This jerk was going to talk to me whether he wanted to or not. I could've just kept walking and pretended that nothing happened, but I wasted my time to help him.

"What's your name?"

He glanced at me for a second. "Gaara."

"Gaara? That's a weird name," I said.

I got no reply. This kid sure wasn't a talker.I grabbed my bag of groceries and stood up. "Well Gaara, maybe we can play together sometime soon." smiled at him before turning to walk away.

"Play?" he repeated after I had taken three steps.

I turned, still smiling. "Yeah. Like tag, or something."

He watched in bewilderment as I headed home.

-o-

"Here's your stuff," I said to my dad as I put the bag of groceries on the table.

He glanced up from his paperwork, having already set up his desk and office supplies. "Good. Go to your room." His pen wrote maliciously on the documents.

I hesitated by the stairs. There was something I had to ask him, even though I was pretty sure I knew the answer to it. It would be the same as every other village.

"I noticed they have a ninja academy here. You know how badly I want to be a kuwoichi and-"

"Hikaru…" My dad had taken his glasses off and was holding the bridge of his nose. "Why do you always have to be such a pain?" He said this under his breath, not meaning for me to hear it.

Too bad. I still heard it. My eyes narrowed at him as I pushed down the lump in my throat.

His response to my question was usually a quick and harsh "no," but now there was a long silence. I began to shake in anticipation and prayed to anyone and anything that might be listening. Maybe he'd say yes. Maybe this was the one time that he-

"I'm not signing you up for the ninja academy. I haven't in other countries, and I won't in this one. And I also won't in any country we go to in the future. When will you get that through your head? I'm tired of your whining."

Once again, my dreams were crushed. I felt like crying, but I knew I couldn't do that in front of him. I'd be grounded for sure.

"Go to bed, Hikaru," my father put his glasses back on and pretended to be busy with his paperwork.

Quickly, I ran up the stairs and into my room. The tears I was holding back spilled over my cheeks and I cried myself to sleep.

-o-

It had been a couple days since we first moved here. I was bored out of my mind.

I was sitting on the swing from before, thinking about what it would be like to be a ninja. I would be strong. I would help people…

I felt eyes on me and, looking up, I saw Gaara. He was standing further off, staring at me. But that's not what surprised me. Sand was swirling around him like a spiral.

Realizing that I had caught him, Gaara's eyes widened in panic before falling shamefully to his feet, as did his sand. That's when I realized it. Gaara could control sand.

That's why I'd heard so many people call him Sabaku no Gaara. It didn't explain, though, why they also called him a monster.

He didn't look like a monster to me.

"Oh, sorry, am I in your seat?" I asked him, getting off the swing and holding on to the chain.

"Ummm…" he said, unsure. He was still staring at his feet.

Would I ever get a good response out of this kid?

"Do you wanna take turns swinging?" I asked.

He looked up in astonishment, his mouth forming an O-shape. I raised one eyebrow at him.

"Here." I motioned him over towards me, holding the swing out.

"Th-thanks, Hikaru," he said, taking the chain from me and sitting down. I was surprised he had remembered my name.

"Where are all your friends?" I asked, looking up at him.

A few moments of silence passed between us. I began to wonder if he heard me, but before I could ask again, he responded. "I don't have any friends." He was looking straight ahead, his face blank.

I thought back to the kids throwing eggs at him. _Are they all like that to him?_

"Yeah, I don't either." This caught his attention. He was looking at me now with those big eyes. It looked like he didn't get enough sleep. "It gets pretty lonely, doesn't it?" I said, giving him a half smile.

"Yeah, it does. Really lonely."

_He looks so sad… _I thought to myself. _He seems even lonelier than I am._

"Well, let's make a deal, Gaara," I put myself in front of the swing and leaned over so our faces were at an equal height. "Let's you and I be friends!"

The idea of him being my friend just felt so… right. He seemed kinder than anyone else I'd met in other countries. I wanted to be in his life.

Gaara stared at me in astonishment before his face lit up. That was the first time I'd seen him smile. It was a great smile, too. I wanted to make him happy like this all the time.

We played together for the rest of the day and had a lot of fun. That spot by the swing became our meeting spot for almost everyday I was in Suna.

-o-

"It's so hot…" I complained.

Gaara and I were sitting on a bench in the market area. We had gotten a cold drink but the ice had already melted. Which totally sucked all of the joy out of my day.

People walking by kept their distance from us and whispered things to each other. They always acted like this when I was around Gaara. Sometimes I'd catch part of their whispers in the wind, wondering why I was spending time with the monster of the village. It's like we had a disease they didn't want to catch.

"Well, it _is_ a desert," Gaara's reply pulled me from my thoughts.

I nudged him playfully with my elbow.

We sat enjoying each other's company in silence, until something startled me into sitting upright. It was the sweet smell of dumplings… and it was coming from a shop across the market.

"Mmmm… those smell soooo **good**!" I exclaimed. Gaara didn't take any notice to them, while I was sniffing like mad to memorize the delicious smell, eyes trained on the shop. "Does your mom ever make food like that?"

Gaara blinked. He looked dazed. "W-well… no. My mom's not alive anymore…"

I quickly forgot about the dumplings and focused all my attention on Gaara. "Oh, I'm sorry, Gaara. What was she like?" I said with a light smile.

"Oh, I don't know. I never met her."

"I'm sorry… What happened to her?" I fidgeted in my seat, these conversations made me uncomfortable. But my curiosity over ruled my discomfort.

Gaara hesitated before he continued. "She died while giving birth to me…" he said and looked down in guilt.

"That's not your fault, you know," I told him. He slowly nodded his head. "She must have really loved you."

"Huh?" he said, looking up at me with innocent eyes. Then he smiled. I loved that smile. "That's what my uncle tells me."

We sat in silence for a while.

It wasn't an awkward silence, though. It was full of warmth and happiness. There was a connection between us that didn't have to be noticed with words.

"It _is_ my fault," Gaara whispered, staring at the ground.

I looked at him in shock. He shouldn't think that way.

"You're wrong. Don't say things like that," I meant to sound assertive, but my voice fell quieter with each word.

"If Shukaku wasn't in me, mother would've lived." He still looked at the ground.

"Shukaku…?"

"Before I was born, my father sealed a sand spirit in me. He lets me control sand, and it protects me… but sometimes, he scares me. He scares the villagers, too."

I didn't speak, I knew he wanted to say more.

"If I go to sleep, he takes over my body… He does horrible things to people when that happens," Gaara was whispering now, and shaking.

I could see his eyes glistening with tears. I hated seeing him like this.

Reaching out, I took his hand in mine. His eyes widened and he looked at me.

"Why aren't you running away? Like everyone else?" He searched my eyes desperately for answers.

"I'm not like everyone else, Gaara. I won't ever run away from you, you're my friend," I smiled at him.

Immediately, he started crying. But he was smiling now, too.

-o-

Weeks had gone by and tomorrow morning my father and I would be moving.

Unlike my first day here, I wasn't excited to go to the Rain village anymore. Don't get me wrong, I still hated it here. At least a gallon of sand had probably gotten stuck in my hair and eyes. It was a person who lived here that held me back.

Gaara had become my best friend. Out of all the countries I'd been to, I've never met anyone like him or had this strong of a bond with anyone. I didn't want to leave him.

"Gaara!" I ran over to my friend who was sitting on the swing set. I stood in front of him and leaned over so our faces were equal. Just like that first day we became friends. "Guess what!"

"What?" he answered, curious.

"I love you!" I held out a yellow daisy for him to take. His eyes widened in astonishment. He was always shocked when I said mushy stuff. I laughed lightly as he took the flower.

"Guess what else?"

He only stared at the flower in his hand.

"You're it!" I tagged him and ran away as fast as I could.

The day went by so fast. Just me and Gaara having fun. Hours passed in what felt like minutes, and pretty soon, it was sunset. I had to get home.

This was it. This was the last time I'd ever be around Gaara like this. I was leaving the village early tomorrow morning.

"I should probably go, it's getting dark." We were sitting on a hill. We'd been sliding down it before, Gaara controlling the sand so it was like a sled.

"Hikaru…" My heart skipped a beat whenever he said my name. I don't think I'd ever get used to it.

He knew. I had already told him that this was my last day.

Tears threatened to spill over my eyes.

"I'll miss you so much!" I wrapped my arms around him and cried.

Gaara just sat in shock before returning the hug. "I'll miss you too," he whispered. I could tell from his voice that he was close to tears as well.

"Please don't forget about me, okay?" _Cause I won't ever, ever forget about you._

"I won't."

"Do you promise?" I asked.

"I promise," his voice held all the emotion in the world. "Do you?"

"I promise."

I let go of him and wiped my eyes. "You're the only true friend I've ever had," I said, and kissed him on the cheek.

I got up and left, walking towards my house.

Gaara looked after me, tears spilling over his cheeks.

I really hope I meet you again, Gaara. I'll always remember you.

-o-

Tada! Did you like it?

It's very ametuear so if you have any advice, I will gladly take it!

I'm thinking about making this a one shot, but if you people want me to continue it, I will


	2. Return

My Demonic Angel Chapter 2

Seven years have passed, and I'm still stuck wandering the country with my father like a pair of hopeless refugees. The endless cycle of arriving, meeting people, and making friends only to leave them finally turned me cold. I no longer focused on building relationships, but instead turned my every attention to training.

Even through forbidden by my father, I've managed to sneak away from him and into every single ninja academy in every single village we've ever stayed in. That's how I discovered my affinity for medical ninjutsu.

There's one benefit of having a neglecting, constantly traveling father.

Speaking of…

"Hikaru, carry this for me, will you?" he asked, holding out a small bag towards me. I took it without complaint, adding it to the other two bags hung on my shoulder.

We were travelling from the Stone to the Rain village… again. For days now, we've been walking, just my father and I, and days more we still had to go. In silence, we walked side by side along the endless path, lugging our belongings on our backs, stopping periodically in the scorching heat for a drink of water, only to keep walking again.

Out of breath and sweating, I looked up into the blinding sun. Only a few more hours until night fall. When I looked back, two ninjas stood in the road, blocking our path. They stood strong and close, about five feet away. I remembered my ninja training and analyzed them quickly: one male and one female, both from The Rain, no family crest so probably no kekkai genkai, both with weapons strapped to their bodies.

"Is there a problem?" my father asked calmly, though the stiffness in his jaw gave away his concern.

"We are looking for a Masao Hyogo," the male answered, speaking my father's full name.

"I am him," he said.

"We have orders from The Rain to obtain the letter you are delivering to our blacksmith."

"And if I decline?" my father demanded.

I glanced wearily from my father to the ninjas, knowing this would not end well. I caught the man's eyes and became trapped in his cold stare, the icy blue daggers sent chills through my body and I hastily looked down to my feet.

"Then we will take it by force."

My head jerked up, gasping as the two ninja withdrew their weapons with identical smirks on their faces. Both held kunais and twirled them around their fingers, awaiting my father's answer.

"Hikaru," my father whispered, "run."

I froze. My trembling limbs refused to move and panic began frantically flooding my mind, until my father's deafening order of "RUN!" pierced through my confusion, and I ran.

I dropped all my bags and ran into the underbrush surrounding the trail, hiding behind a tree and peeking out to see what was happening. My father faced them calmly.

"You won't be getting that letter from me," my father called out to the ninja, who took that as the signal to bury their weapons into him.

My hand shot over my mouth to muffle my scream as I watched him slowly fall to the ground. And that's all I could do, _watch_, as they killed him quickly, silently, and emotionlessly, as if he was nothing but a target for practice.

Anger burned deep inside me as the woman casually bent over him, searching his garments for the letter before grabbing it and handing it to her partner. He died for that letter, and they took it from him.

"Should we find the girl?" she asked, sending my heart racing.

"No, she is of no threat to us," heanswered, earning a nod from the girl as they sprinted away.

-o-

Once they were out of sight, I rushed toward my dad, stumbling until I kneeled beside him where he lay bloody with 2 kunai in his chest.

My hands fluttered spastically above him, unsure of what to do. His eyes were closed and his face held an expression of pain. Dad?" I whispered, placing two fingers at his wrist.

_A pulse! _It was small, but it was there, so I remembered my medical training and got to work.

I took a long, deep, calming breath and placed both hands on one of the kunai and enveloped it with chakra in order to pull it out gently and pain free. _I can do this. _With trembling hands I, not so gently, removed it and immediately applied pressure to the wound.

He suddenly lurched forward and coughed up blood, eyes bulging out of his head.

"Hey dad, hey. It's okay, you're gonna be okay, okay?" I cooed, trying to hide the panic from my voice as I tried to heal the wound that bled much too heavily to be anywhere near okay.

"Hikaru," my father held my cheek and turned my head to face him. "Let it be."

A river of tears crashed through my eyes and I gripped his hand against my cheek. "What am I going to do without you?" I cried.

"You can make it, Hikaru," he struggled to speak. "You are stronger than you realize." And with that, his hand became limp in mine and the subtle rise and fall of his chest turned still.

He was gone.

-o-

That night, I gave him a proper burial with prayer words, stones, and a vow for vengeance.

The sky grew dark as I remained kneeling at his grave, remembering his last words. Father believed I was strong, but I knew that wasn't true. I didn't have the strength enough to save him, so I swore to him that I would become strong enough to _end _those who murdered him. I would make them wish they went searching for that girl who ran away, and I would demonstrate just how great of a threat I am to them.

This I swore on my life.

But one question posed a problem: How?

I had nowhere to go. Not to The Rain, the land of my father's killers; and Konoha, which I had connections with, was too far away. I wracked my brain for answers but there was nothing, nothing, until -

BAM. In a sudden flash I remembered sleepy eyes and fiery hair and knew exactly where I needed to go.

Suna.

-o-

A day's journey it took, from dawn to nightfall. The familiar, despicable feeling of sand in my shoes became more and more evident as the Sand Village came closer, and I smiled.

Kind faces greeted me at the entrance and welcomed me in. I watched in anticipation as the gates slowly opened into the city, revealing hundreds of houses crafted beautifully from the sand. I inhaled the sweet, desert air and stepped inside. After seven long years, it still felt like home.

I made my way towards the house my father and I stayed in when we were here, hoping no one was renting it out right now. Quietly, I walked through the sleeping city until I spotted something.

A swing.

But it wasn't just any swing, it was the one I first met Gaara on, the one that occupied so many of my dreams.

I approached it cautiously, heart beating faster as it got closer until I stood in front of it. Right where I stood when I first met him. Waves of happiness crashed into me and I gripped the chains for balance, the same chains that Gaara once gripped. I tried to fight away this urge to swing, but finally gave in as memories of him played around me in the wind, sending me into bliss.

If heaven isn't a myth, I imagine it feels exactly like this.

But my temporary heaven came to a shattering halt when a flash of movement caught my eye and sent my feet crashing into the ground to stop my swinging.

A shadow stood atop the roof in front of me. A boy: crossed arms, messy hair, and a large gourd strapped to his back. I remained silent in my seat, knowing panic breeds nothing good in these situations.

Shadows masked the boy's face until he stepped forward into the moonlight, revealing a familiar face with tired, green eyes that I hadn't seen in far too long.

"Gaara?"

**-o-**

**A/N**

**Well, that only took about a year.**

**Anyways, if you read to here, thanks and I am so sorry for the dreadfully, painfully awful writing you've just endured.**

**BUT IT GET'S BETTER AFTER THIS I SWEAR. **

**Anyways, thank you so much for reading and I'll try to get the next one up in less than a month! **


End file.
